Objects of Desire

Notes on our most coveted art & design pieces and collaborations.

Object Dream Factory Cycling Stack Print Cotton-Canvas Tote Bag by Paul Smith

£35

London Fashion Week is upon us, and this week The Wick is thinking about what every editor and buyer hopping from show-to-show to party needs to make it through a few very full days in the capital. First up, a tote that can take whatever the day throws at it. First up, a tote that can take whatever the day throws at it. Exclusive to Selfridges, Paul Smith’s Dream Factory bag is cut from ecru cotton canvas and printed with a photographic stack of cycling jerseys across the front, while the iconic embroidered Paul Smith logo finishes things off neatly. At £35, it is also the rare Fashion Week accessory that leaves something in the budget for lunch. Throw in the day’s accumulated clutter and go.

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Object Psychoanalysis Candle by Bella Freud

£50

With World Mental Health Day on the horizon, this week The Wick is thinking about artful objects that encourage a little slowing down. Bella Freud’s Psychoanalysis candle is a good place to start. Hand-poured in natural wax, the fragrance opens with neroli and lilac, followed by tobacco flower and amber, with cedarwood at the base. The black vessel carries Freud’s instantly recognisable graphic lettering, making it as much an object for the room as a scent for it. With a 40-hour burn time, it is made for long October evenings. Light it, put the phone down and let the evening get a little less busy.

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Object Cashmere Blanket by Rachel Whiteread

£1,300

For the days when lounging on the sofa sounds particularly appealing, Rachel Whiteread has the answer. This limited edition blanket is made from 100% superfine cashmere by master craftspeople at a small family-run business in Scotland, using traditional techniques. A double-sided knitting process places Whiteread’s artwork across the front with a birds-eye pattern on the reverse, giving the heavyweight blanket two very different sides. Whiteread is best known for transforming familiar objects and spaces through sculpture, and this blanket brings that same interest in the everyday into a softer, more tactile form. Art collecting has rarely looked quite so comfortable.

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Object Indigo Storm Mug by Faye Toogood

£35

Sometimes looking after yourself starts with something as ordinary as making a nice cup of tea, and Faye Toogood’s Indigo Storm mug for 1882 Ltd. gives this small ritual a suitably artful vessel. Made from fine earthenware, the design emerged from experiments with pigment that does not fully blend into the slip, leaving deep blue whorls and irregular marks across a cream ground. The palette nods to traditional English Delftware, while Toogood’s interest in chance and material imperfection keeps things decidedly contemporary. Keep it close for the morning coffee or the tea before bed. A very good mug can do a surprising amount for the mood.

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Object Bean Link Resin Necklace by JOSEPH

£225

Sometimes all a great Fashion Week outfit needs is one standout accessory, and JOSEPH’s Bean Link Resin Necklace gets the job done effortlessly and with style. Chunky interlocking links in dark tortoiseshell resin are joined by a gold-tone toggle clasp, with the brand’s studio-designed ‘bean’ shape giving the piece its distinctive sculptural form. Wear it over a simple knit or against a crisp shirt for an instant elevation of your whole look. The dark horn finish has a hint of vintage appeal, while the oversized proportions keep things firmly contemporary. One strong necklace and consider your outfit sorted.

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Object Adula Scarf by ROKSANDA

£450

ROKSANDA has always been at home in the space where art and fashion collide, making the Adula scarf a very Wick-approved companion for London Fashion Week. Made from pure silk, the generous square is covered in sweeping marks created in the brand’s London studio, recalling the loose, expressive quality of an artist’s working sketch. Loop it around the neck when the September chill appears, or tie it to a bag to brighten up rainy dashes between shows. Exactly the sort of piece to throw on when a Fashion Week outfit needs one final flourish.

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Object Tan France Anika Table Lamp in Orange by Castlery

£199

For any side table in need of a little flair, Tan France’s Anika Table Lamp for Castlery makes a persuasive case for bolder lighting. Best known as the fashion expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye, France brings his eye for colour and form into the home with a lamp inspired by South Asian architecture and his own heritage. It pairs an orange hand-blown glass shade and base with a powder-coated metal stem, creating a soft, warm glow. France has spoken about colour as one of the easiest ways to express personality, and Anika takes him at his word: place it on a desk, bedside cabinet or under-loved corner, and let it bring the room a little more character.

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Object Sweet Flows Woven Jacquard Swivel Chair by Yinka Ilori x Dunelm

£299

British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Ilori has never been shy with colour, and his new collaboration with Dunelm brings this joyful language into the home at a surprisingly accessible price. The Sweet Flows Woven Jacquard Swivel Chair is upholstered in a vivid green geometric fabric, with a rounded silhouette that looks made for curling up in. The 360-degree swivel base keeps it practical, while the pattern gives the piece all the character we have come to expect from Ilori, whose work often turns colour and optimism into design. Inspired by the meeting point between his London upbringing and Dunelm’s Leicester market roots, the collection has a playful sense of everyday generosity. A chair for reading, lounging, people-watching from the corner of the room and making the whole space just a little brighter.

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Object Plinth Round Set of 2 Coffee Tables in Blue Gloss and Oak by MADE x Barbican

£379

This week The Wick is looking at designed objects for the home, beginning with a little piece of the Barbican for the living room. Part of the new MADE x Barbican collection, this set of two Plinth round coffee tables takes its cue from the sweeping curves and iconic architecture of London’s beloved Brutalist landmark. Crafted from mid tone oak and oak veneer, each semi-circular table is finished with a blue gloss top and can be styled together or apart, depending on the mood of the room. It takes the vast architectural language of the Barbican and brings it into the home as something useful and unexpectedly playful. For anyone who wants a coffee table with cultural credentials, this is a very good place to start.

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Object Pleated Checked Tote Bag by MULTITUDES BAGS

£151

For everything that needs to stay within arm’s reach, MULTITUDES BAGS’ pleated checked tote makes a cheerful case for the carry-on extra. In red and blue with a satin finish, check pattern and softly pleated shape, it brings a little texture and movement to the everyday tote. The open top and double handles give it an unfussy practicality, while the logo tag adds a neat finishing touch. The Wick loves it as the bag for gallery detours, market mornings or lazy days out by the seaside. Roomy enough for the essentials and far more interesting than the emergency tote hiding at the bottom of the wardrobe.

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