Welcome to the Liv Design blog, an eclectic mix of great design and quirky finds

Here's a beautiful new window display at Selfridges  on Oxford Street in London which we visited at the weekend. It's a display of 'Dog Lamps' but there doesn't seem to be any further information about them. We want one... There's something great about the window displays of big department stores. They put effort, thought and creativity into their shop window displays. It's not merely a promo for products available in-store, it's an expression of what they stand for, a key part of their brand that sets them apart form High Street stores. It makes the visit an experience in itself rather than just a shopping trip. Part art gallery, part tourist attraction, part creative exercise, it works in attracting attention and inviting customers inside. Perhaps a little self-indulgent but that never does any harm. Old school thinking with a modern interpretation for today's marketing aware customers. You don't get this at Debenhams...

Now Liv Design are big fans of many sci-fi and fantasy movies and owners of one or two collectors pieces. Normally we embrace the ever growing range of 'unique' pieces of movie memorabilia. We thought we'd seen just about every piece of ridiculous, hideous and tenuous products imaginable in the ever-growing industry. Boy, were we wrong... Step up the 'Iron man 2' leathers. Yes, for bikers everywhere who also fancy dressing up as their favourite superhero you can now buy a full Marvel Iron Man 2 styled set of motorcycle leathers including boots and gloves (no helmet? tut...). The suit is made by Universal Replicas and is officially licenced by Universal Studios and Marvel (?!). According to the website blurb "Every effort to maintain and respect this seemingly impossible Mark V armor in all its detail ‘as seen on screen’ has now been painstakingly replicated down to the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of details. Careful study of every angle, b...