It's not just us that love bugs!

The METRO newspaper loves them too!

Stinging Insect Earrings, £22 - found in Jewellery Room 1 - Cabinet No1

The Love of Bugs

Insect jewellery is a huge trend for Autumn/Winter 2010 but here at The Shop Floor Project we've known the power of bugs for quite a while now. Since we launched Erica Weiner’s collection in 2007, which is inspired by antique entomology cabinets, we have sold out again and again. It seems you just can’t get enough of these little creatures.

Courtney Blackman, the chairman of the Fashion Business Club is a huge fan of the collection, in particular the Cicada Beetle earrings, “knowing I have giant, golden cicadas dangling from my ears makes me smile, and I can’t tell you how many people stop me and squeal, ‘Where did you get those? I want some!’”.

Visit Erica's cabinet in Jewellery Room 1

The Secret Arcade - new site launch

As well as getting all the wonderful autumn collections ready for The Shop Floor Project we have been busy creating a new site, which we are excited to announce has launched today!

The Secret Arcade - so called as it is a treasure trove of wonderful designer shops under one magnificent roof that you will not find on any run of the mill high street.

Our motivation for the site (which we began designing in 2009) springs from the desire to recreate the atmosphere and excitement of wandering through one of those wonderful Victorian shopping arcades where you find a whole array of intriguing shops giving a whole new experience for online shoppers.

We have hunted high and low to find designers that we find inspiring and have brought together an amazing collection of people who have all created their own fantastic e-shops that will satisfy the most adventurous of customers. You will find a labyrinth of shops arranged in specialised 'passages' from unique objects for children and women to contemporary art and ironmongery to designer wallpaper!

We hope you enjoy our new site as much as The Shop Floor Project. Make sure you sign up to The Secret Arcade blog as it will be bring you news about individual designers and their products each week as well as a programme of 'events' that will be introduced throughout the year .... so keep reading!

They're Back for Autumn!

For all of you who were saddened by the speed at which Dolapo James' African fabric clutch bags sold out - dry your eyes because the new collection has just arrived!

After Dolapo's first collection proved to be one of our most popular and fastest selling ever, we commissioned her to make a second for autumn. And what a collection it is! Lovely smudgy olive greens and browns are mixed with vibrant yellows and navy blues in unusual patterns such as Fossil, African Paisley and Batik Hand.

These bags really speak to us of one of our favourite trends here at The Shop Floor Project - the Global Traveller. You know the one, were the model looks like she spends her life visiting far flung places and wears her 'finds' in interesting ways, perhaps wearing a piece of African Ankara fabric as a belt to cinch in her hand knitted Mongolian jumper! We're not saying you need to go that far - but adding one of these beautiful bags to your wardrobe will definitely add a touch of global magic.

£59 from the bag department