Discover Nica's Favourite Places

by Nica Kim

As you know, I do spend a lot of my free time searching for new design inspiration but believe it or not, I do like to grab a few non work related minutes and relax. And that often includes eating out at delicious restaurants, so, I thought that I’d share a few of my favourite places with you.

Last Saturday, after visiting the British Museum, I stopped by the Japanese noodle café Koya. It’s one of my favourite places to eat, as it’s so nice and cosy, and in all honesty, it reminds me a little bit of home.

It only serves traditional udon noodles. Just look at the delicious dish that I enjoyed. One of my favourites!

If you’re a coffee lover, then, you’ll adore one of my favourite coffee houses, All Press Espresso. It’s the perfect place to rewind and relax after a stroll around Colombia Road market on a Sunday morning. 

Do you have a favourite place to dine or enjoy a coffee in London? Share it with me @Nica_Handbags on twitter, and I might just try it out! 

#NicaDesignAPrint Contest: Our Ten Finalists

This year, we've been working extra closely with the Clothes Show and running our #NicaDesignAPrint contest. We've been asking you to submit your very own nature influenced prints from which we will choose a winner who’ll get their pattern transformed into one of our beautiful satchels!

We were overwhelmed with amazing entries, so, it was quite the task to whittle down our finalists… But we finally did, and we want to say a massive congratulations to all of our top ten finalists! Take a look at their entries below (in no particular order), and let us know what you think.

Rose Tucker 

Shannon Robinson

Alice Lorraine 

Charlotte Potter 

Sarah Ridgewell

Shonagh Gibson 

Amy Foster 

Christy Purcell 

Lili Price 

Lottie Irving 

So, what do you think of our finalists? Share your favourites with us on Facebook, @Nica_Handbags on Twitter or @nicahandbags on Instagram. 

Thrifty London: Vintage Shopping in the UK’s Capital

Bargain hunters and vintage lovers unite, it’s time to get thrifty! Join NICA on a whirlwind tour of London’s best vintage shops as we venture from East to West in pursuit of an irresistible deal. 

Beyond Retro

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With 3 London stores located in Dalston, Brick Lane and Soho, Beyond Retro is something of a staple in the UK capital. For the largest quantity of second hand clothing and accessories in London, head to Beyond Retro’s gigantic vintage warehouse in Brick Lane. Here you’ll find rails upon rails of colour co-ordinated plaid shirts, velvet bodysuits and distressed denim jackets.

Beyond Retro’s accessories department doesn’t disappoint either, shoppers can select from an expansive collection of hair scrunchies, patterned neck scarves and waist cinching belts with prices ranging from very reasonable to moderate.

Seek & Revive Kilo Sale

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If you've never ventured to a vintage kilo sale before, the concept is simple: shoppers are given a carrier bag on arrival which they can fill to their hearts' content, then, at the end of the shop their items are weighed and they pay by the kilo. For reference a kilo is around four to five items of clothing – at £15 per kilo this is an amazing deal!

Kilo sale events are common and occur all across London, eager to see what the fuss was all about we ventured to the Seek & Revive sale in Shoreditch during the month of July. Paying £1 on entry, we proceeded to navigate around the huge warehouse space where clothing and accessories were arranged by category. 

This shopping event is certainly one for the patient, keen eyed bargain hunter -it took us over 2 hours to sift through the vast array of items on offer! Be it a psychedelic printed bathing costume or a 1980’s bomber jacket, expect to find a vast array of one-off pieces.

East End Thrift Store

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One of London’s best kept secrets, the East End Thrift Store is a go-to destination for great value vintage. The décor is minimalist and, as with all vintage treasure, shoppers should come prepared to rummage in exchange for designer labels at steal-worthy prices. From genuine shearling jackets to tartan trousers and vintage fedora hats, you’re unlikely to come away empty handed.

Vintage shops in London are ten a penny, but there are plenty of gems to explore. Do you have a must-visit second-hand shop on your radar? Send us your suggestions via twitter @Nica_Handbags.

#NicaChristmas: Discover Some of our Favourite Festive Baking Ideas

We’re starting to feel very Christmassy here at Nica HQ, and one of our favourite things about the festive season is dabbling in a spot of Christmas time baking!

So, we've been looking through Pinterest for some recipe ideas. Why not take a look at our #NicaChristmas board to see what we've found?

We've stumbled upon quite a few that we fancy testing out. Here are some of our favourites. Which ones have inspired you to start baking?

Gingerbread Tree

Forget the traditional flat gingerbread trees and create mini life like ones instead. Plus, it’s really easy too! All’s you need to do is bake some simple star shaped ginger bread cookies, stack them on top of each other, and simply glue into place with a splash of yummy icing. 

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Snowflake Carrot Cupcakes

A simple cupcake made from carrot cake mixture and prettily decorated with vanilla butter cream and chocolate snowflake decoration. Finished with a splash of sparkly edible glitter to up that festive feeling.

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Santa Brownies

Nothing screams Christmas more than a Santa’s hat, and look what such a simple addition does to an ordinary brownie. Simply created with a splash of buttercream and a delicious strawberry. 

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All of the recipes for the cakes featured can be found under image source. And remember, we love to discover a new recipe, so, please share your festive baking with us by using #NicaChristmas upon our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

Discover Nica's Design Inspirations: Oriental Prints

by Nica Kim

All of my prints are unique, and whilst I was designing this season’s watercolour collection, I turned to beautiful oriental prints for inspiration, as I love the feel of the rich with vibrant colours and patterns that stay so close to nature. Just like these inspiring ones that I found on Pinterest below.

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Whilst developing my own oriental influenced prints, I decided to add in elements of animals to make it feel a little more quirky and more like a typical Nica print.

Take a look at my beautiful prints for this season, do you have a favourite? We're always looking for inspiring new prints, so, why not share your favourite prints with us @Nica_Handbags on Twitter, or on Pinterest. 

Love, 

Nica Kim 

x x x