Fashion-forward accessories made in quality materials at an affordable price? Yes, the luxury Danish company Friis & Co makes it all possible.

Classic wardrobe staples like oversized clutch bags are made relevant again when crafted in luxurious leather and sprinkled with studded accents, while strappy sandals with towering heels make a bold statement with tribal embellishments.

Money is no object in this seasons’ collection as prices range from £8 for a colorful chunky link bracelet to just £107 for a pair of studded gladiators heels.

The real stars of their collection however, are their unapologetically sexy snakeskin stilettos and cleverly constructed leopard print handbags which are sure to make even the most modest fashionistas drool.

Friis & Co understand what women want; non-fuss accessories that are incredibly appealing and that come at an equally tempting price. Check out the full collection at The Stellar Boutique.

After spending time selling her vintage finds in Portobello, Greenwich and Spitalfields markets, Stella decided to set up her own online shop, The Stellar Boutique. Having worked on the idea for two years, Stella decided on the name because it incorporated her name (Stella) without actually being directly about her. The boutique officially opened its ‘virtual doors’ in July 2009. Here, Stella gives Neandra Etienne a glimpse into her vintage world, talks about her love of James Dean and why she’s still a hippie at heart.

Neandra Etienne for QoV: What has been your most favourite item in the shop?

Stella: It’s difficult to narrow it down to just one piece! Some of my current favourites would be the Raj style vintage brooch in the vintage jewellery section for it’s quirkiness, the floral jumpsuit is pure Eighties vintage at it’s best, the Chanel style twin set is particularly cute and I love the Eighties Americana biker T-shirt as it’s so iconic and incredibly current! That’s one item I really wanted to keep for myself!

QoV: If you could step back into time, what decade would you travel to and why?

Stella: Oh, good question! Well, I’ve always been a huge James Dean fan so I’d have to go back to the Fifties at about age 15 and experience the dawning of  ‘the teenager’! That would mean I would be in my twenties to get the very best out of my favourite era – the Sixties. To have been a part of the hippie movement and of course to experience Woodstock would just be amazing. For me, the music, fashion and philosophy of that decade has defined so much of what we are today. Peace and love all the way!

QoV: Describe what a typical day is like for you?

Stella: My typical day starts at around 9am. Feeding the menagerie and walking my dogs is first on the agenda. Next is a trip into town to the post office to send off the customer orders from the last 24 hours. Then, armed with a coffee and a roll up, my laptop (and music) goes on at around 11am and I start by working my way through the mountain of emails from press, customers, designers and suppliers.

This can often take up the majority of my day but I try to keep the afternoon free for photo shoots and uploading new products. I have to prise myself away from the computer at around 6pm for the second dog walk of the day, then it’s back to work which usually ends anywhere between 2-4am in the morning. I am a bit of a night owl and I find I am at my most creative and productive in the early hours.

QoV: How do you feel the vintage market has changed since you first opened?

Stella: It’s very interesting to have witnessed the evolution of vintage clothing over the last 15 years. When I started collecting, it was simply called ‘retro’. It’s only really over the last 10 years that the term ‘vintage’ has been used for clothing as opposed to just cars & wine etc.!  Of course there have always been vintage collectors, but the last decade has seen a massive shift in attitudes towards vintage clothing.

There used to be a lot more resistance towards the concept of wearing ‘second hand’ clothes. Fortunately, it’s no longer viewed in such a way and I am delighted that the rest of the world has cottoned on. Vintage clothing is now very much ‘in vogue’ and has been propelled into the limelight by iconic fashion figures such as Juliette Lewis, Kate Moss and Chloe Sevigny.

QoV: Have you got any advice or tips for new customers wanting to visit your shop?

Stella: The concept for The Stellar Boutique derived from the idea that you can shop for your wardrobe, home and lifestyle all under one roof. I wanted to create an outlet where shoppers can buy something original and one-off that they won’t find in the average high street store. I make it my mission to scour the globe looking for unique items to encourage people to have fun with fashion and experiment with their own personal sense of style.

I try to distance myself from the current ethos of teaching your customers ’how to dress like a celebrity’ like at so many other online shops. This only leads to the death of originality. Look out for the menswear new and vintage collections which are coming soon, meaning you’ll be able to pick up a little something for the man in your life at the same time – perfect guilt free shopping!

Just Arrived – The Stellar Boutique vintage jewellery collection

A dazzling new collection of vintage jewellery has arrived at The Stellar Boutique.  The new range features an assortment of vintage necklaces, vintage bracelets, vintage brooches and vintage earrings from the 1940s right through to the 1980s. So if your a fan of all that sparkles, get yourself over to this online vintage shop and snap yourself up that vintage jewellery gem.

The Stellar Boutique on-line fashion store is a collection of vintage fashion classics mixed with on trend, ready-to-wear pieces. Featuring contemporary designers and boho vintage pieces, it’s a great place to find one-off items and unique, on-trend designs.

The current vintage sale has got some real bargain pieces. We adore this Eighties black velevet bag with its Eiffel Tower logo and gold chain shoulder strap, a certain Miss Bradshaw would surely snap up such a bargain at £17.50.

These Eighties silver and gold heels would look great mixed with a simple black outfit, and at £21 won’t break the bank.

View the full vintage clothing collection here.

We sat up and took note of the fabulous online fashion shop, The Stellar Boutique, when we fell in love with their beautiful statement jewellery from Norwegian Wood. Luckily their December sale is now on, so absolutely everything is 20% off – thats jewellery, vintage clothing and designer clothes, menswear and best of all these gorgeous and elegant vintage 1970s mock-croc handbags, which we ♥. The imitation crocodile gives the bags a slightly decadent edge (lucky for us we know no crocs were harmed in their creation!), and on a slightly more pragmatic note, it’s definately true that a brown handbag goes with absolutely anything….
mock croc chain bag now £30.40 and mock crock handbag now £20

Clutch bags make the perfect accessory for fashion forward trend setters. Whether they are vintage or new, every girl should have one. This month the editor has picked out her favourite clutch bags from a selection  of online fashion boutiques. The particular favourite is no.6, a stylish vintage mock croc clutch bag in cream from The Stellar Boutique.

Here ther are in all their glory……

All imagery throughout courtesy of The Stellar Boutique

Stella McCartney and Kate Moss know a thing or two about good style. Both are fans of Stella McClure, owner of newly opened internet shop, The Stellar Boutique. Previously running a vintage-customised stall at Portobello Market, McClure packed up shop in 2004 to travel the world in a campervan. Now settled in the Spanish countryside, she has decided to give it another go. This time though from the comfort of her own home via the power of the internet.

The Stellar Boutique is a great concept. McClure travels the hippy-luxe trail across Europe to Marrakech in order to bring you vintage treasures. Everybody loves a one-off, and that is certainly what The Stellar Boutique provides. Featuring vintage bags, designer garments, customised pieces and exquisitely exotic homeware, there’s something for everyone.

Unlike many other fashion businesses at the moment, McClure is keen to promote new designers and ethnic artisans. (Instead of ‘Marc Jacobs’ think ‘Marc who?’) McClure insists that real style is best grown from within, instead of stealing magazine looks or following trend advice. The Stellar Boutique offers the freedom to do this.

But does it deliver? Standout pieces are endless. Let’s start with the accessories. There are the Moroccan style leather handbags.Then there are the mountains of unique jewellery to choose from. Pieces by Bora Bora, Lei Rose and Norwegian Wood are to die for. I love the porcelain tea-cup necklace and the silver postcard trinket by Lei Rose, as well as the feathered and fringed pieces by Norwegian Wood, and wow, have you seen the skull charm bracelet by Bora Bora? Even more for the Christmas list!

Next up, vintage. There’s second-hand, slightly grubby, vintage fashion, and then there’s nice ‘I’m so glad only I have this’ vintage fashion. The Stellar Boutique falls into the latter category. The vintage section of the site is easily the big winner. With clothing separated into 60s, 70s, 80s, handbags, scarves, boots and boho, it couldn’t be easier to navigate towards your era or item of choice.

Boho features peasant tops and kaftans Sienna would covet. The 70s section showcases (unusually beautiful) standout dresses at massively cut-down prices, and 80s can tailor to all your glam rock needs. There are sparkly 80s style heels and some killer red leather stilettos in the shoe department, as well as the standard biker or cowgirl boot. With menswear and more accessories coming soon, you’ve got to keep checking back for more goodies!

As if it needed to be said; everything is quality assured, hand-picked and highly loved. Check out the site to update your wardrobe for 2010 with fresh, exotic pieces your friends can drool over. For Christmas, they are spreading the holiday joy with a 20% off discount sale on all vintage and womenswear, as well as homeware! So why not pick up something for your Christmas shindigs or New Year’s bashes now instead of waiting for the mania of the January sales?!

Written by Becky Cope

It’s not long ’til Christmas and I’m sure many of you will be busy scribbling your lists for Santa, but don’t put down your pens until you’ve taken a look at these beauties!

I came across this range of jewellery whilst perusing online fashion store The Stellar Boutique and immediately thought of a few feminists I know who would love to find one of these in the toe of their stocking.

The collection is called ‘Icons’ and comes from an independent designer called CUCA. The designer is a Portugese artist, based in Barcelona, who hand makes each piece using ceramic tiles. She then prints on the image, works over it with glitter and seals it before turning it into a ring, pin brooch or necklace.

My favourites have to be the Frida Kahlo and Audrey Hepburn pendants, since they are both wonderfully inspirational women and cultural crushes of mine!

So, if you’re still stuck for what to buy a special someone why not splash out on one of these unique and original pieces? You’ll be supporting an independent creative and showing your appreciation of a strong female cultural icon. What could be better? Well, they’re all on sale now at The Stellar Boutique, so none of them will set you back more than £25! How’s that for a Happy Chrtistmas?!

If you’ve already exhausted your mum’s wardrobe from the 70s & 80s and are hankering after some seriously stylish vintage clothes and vintage inspired clothing, there’s only one place to look: The Stellar Boutique.

From mock croc clutch bags, to bat-winged dresses, and from killer 80s heels to fabulous authentic 70s belts, The Stellar Boutique has it covered. Oh, and there’s a section of the site devoted to vintage homewares too, so you can live and look like a retro queen.

Visit now because there’s currently a pre-Christmas sale on with 20% off all womens vintage clothing, vintage-style fashion,  jewellery, sunglasses and belts. That’s what we like, vintage clothing at yesterday’s prices!