POSTCARD FROM… Susie Cave
THE BRITISH DESIGNER TAKES US AROUND HER HOME TOWN OF BRIGHTON, SHARING THE PLACES WHERE SHE SHOPS, EATS – AND FINDS IDEAS
SOMETHING OLD Brighton has so many vintage and antique shops, particularly in The Lanes and Kemptown. My favourites are Jump The Gun for mod styles, Moderne Brighton for antique lighting, Duchess Rose for Hollywood Regency furniture, and the aptly named Snoopers Paradise fleamarket for Sixties mini dresses and Biba pieces.
IN BLOOM McBean’s Orchid is just outside Brighton and it’s magical. They supplied the flowers for Princess Diana’s wedding bouquet. Flowers inspire many of the colour combinations for my dresses. I always buy some to brighten up my office space and to give to my mother, just as my dad used to.
BEST IN SHOW The Dome is somewhere I go when seeking creativity. It hosts an eclectic mix of events and shows throughout the year.
GRAND OPENINGS I’ve been looking forward to the opening of Brighton Beach House, the new outpost of Soho House.
STYLE AND SUSTENANCE Fish and chips is the perfect finish to a typical Brighton day – and you can’t get much better than Riddle & Finns. English’s of Brighton is also a favourite.
A WALK TO REMEMBER I find beach walks here to be almost spiritual. I particularly love the walk from Hove Promenade to the pier. My husband Nick bought me a beach hut there for Valentine’s Day, so it’s where we spend all our summers with the boys.
HIDDEN GEM Yashar Bish is an amazing carpet store – all those piles of handwoven rugs make me feel as though I have stepped into The Princess and the Pea. I bought some floral Moldovan rugs from here for my pink riverside office in Lewes, and their opulence enhances the richness of our beautiful fabrics.
OFF-GRID I love the Booth Museum, a Victorian taxidermy museum full of birds, butterflies, fossils, bones and gothic ambience.