While we were planning our Islands summer exhibition with artist Norman Hyams we began to imagine a world inside his work…We dreamt of his colours and the life and style of island dressing and we bought objects and designed fashion to work within this theme. But I wanted to get a sense of really being away from the confines of a Mayfair shop and so it seemed essential to reach out to our friend Frank Akinsete, the king of vintage fashion at Portobello Market. 

Immediately post lockdown you may recall, we worked on a collection of unique dip dyed reconstructed pieces from the Connolly archive that Frank had reimagined. It was wonderful to be out there in the market selling and engaging with people again and it was great fun and we worked next door coincidentally to a young stall holder called Freddie Foulkes; the curator of our Norman Hyams exhibition. So four years later we are doing an Islands pop up with Frank, again in Portobello using archive stock but this time reimagined by Frank to wear on your island. The sun drenched, intense palette found in Hyams work as well as the sense of escape and freedom will be there on Frank’s island stall. If your holidays are delayed or not happening this year or you just need an injection of joy and colour or something to wear to a festival then please come and see us over the last two Fridays in June for a unique shopping trip and a try on and of course, a chat with the incredible Frank and immerse in market and island life.

Caftans jackets trews suits t shirts hats are all to be found there! 

- Isabel

'As I was growing up,' says Frank Akinsete, ' I always had an interest in second-hand clothing. I loved rummaging in junk shops and going to jumble sales. I lived on Kings Road in the Seventies and grew up with Punk and D.I.Y. fashion. When I ran ‘Souled Out’ we used to find items and deconstruct then upcycle them. This was often experimental, but the results were spectacular. I love dyeing items and giving them a second life, a skill I’ve accrued throughout the varied aspects of my work. In 2020 as we settled into life immediately after Lockdown, I was introduced to Isabel Ettedgui and Connolly by artist Carolyn Quartermaine who was showing her beautiful cyanotypes at Connolly in the summer 2020 exhibition Something old something new something borrowed something blue. I curated a selection of vintage items and dyed the pieces for the rail at the Connolly store in conjunction with Carolyn Quartermaine’s art and in September, CONNOLLY X FRANK AKINSETE had a vibrant, fabulous Pop Up shop on Portobello Road Market with my repurposed Connolly pieces from their previous collections.

Inspired by the current Norman Hyams exhibition, ISLANDS at 4 Clifford Street and the tropical Islands on my travel, I’ve curated a new selection of items from more recent Connolly archive.

In my mind …Blue seas and Blue Skies , Bright Yellow Sun .

Vivid Sunsets of Blues, Purples, with hints of Red.

Four years later the CONNOLLY X FRANK AKINSETE X PORTOBELLO MARKET returns!'

Biography  

Frank has worked as a freelance style consultant for celebrity and corporate clients for decades. He has also worked as a guest lecturer in Styling at various Universities around the country and a vintage fashion consultant for the industry. The work includes fifteen years of work styling editorial shoots for print media, creating images for bands and styling pop videos for a range of artists in the music industry. www.frankstylist.com. His Recyclamania movement set up the world’s first ever vintage concession within a department store. ‘Souled Out’ was open between 1991—1995 in Topshop’s flagship store on Oxford Street, London. Currently he runs his Souled Out mobile boutique on Fridays and Saturdays on Portobello Road Market , Notting Hill.

Photographed on Nicola St Louis, Dulcie Atkinson, Minna Barker, Caspar Mckenna, and Danny Ayele by Lara Antoniades for Connolly at Portobello Market, styled and worn their own way. The treated repurposed Island Collaboration will be available at Portobello Market on Friday 21st and Friday 28th June and a vintage selection rail by Frank will be at Connolly in Clifford Street.