Bitossi re-editions at the SCP Design Department Store

SCP, the beautiful east London and online homewares shop, threw a little do last night to celebrate the opening of their Design Department Store – where you can get a first look at some brand new designs from some of their favourite creative associates and brands. 

The shop-within-the-shop is also there to celebrate the opening of the London Design Festival 2012, which officially kicks off at the end of this week.

SCP doesn't, exactly, fall under the 'affordable' tag of this blog, but it nevertheless makes for an inspiring visit – and you can always stick to the excellent Kiosk range, particularly good for gifts. And you can get in on the action from Saturday, when there will also be free crepes for all visitors who print out this voucher on the SCP blog. If the fantastic snacks going on last night are anything to go by, get in quick...

But I digress from what was meant to be the point of this post: Bitossi. I love the long-running Italian ceramics company, which has been going since the 1900s and is still run by the same family. Their 1950s-1970s designs include some of my particular favourites – which was good last night, as part of the SCP goings-on this month includes  showing and selling a selection of reissued vases, above, from this very era, originally created under the art direction of former Bitossi art director, Aldo Londi.

Bitossi horse riders, 36.30; SCP's Bitossi animals range starts at £24.80

I have a Bitossi sausage dog, below, part of the Rimini Blu range, above, from the 1950s. Mine actually came from another lovely store, the Lollipop Shoppe, for about £30. You could also try Pip's Trip for originals.

And here are gratuitous close-ups of some of those re-issued Bitossi classics for sale at SCP. Be warned, though, unlike the Rimini Blu animals above, these babies start at £250 and rise sharply. Nice to look at though...

As for the other lovely things in the Design Department Store at SCP, you can have a browse here. I'll try to post up a few other products and designers that caught my eye last night shortly. But in the meantime, look out for Mark McGinnis' thought-provoking and colourfully graphic take on religious icons and cultural stereotypes, Fort Standard's lovely wooden knobs, Kay and Stemmer's stunningly simple wooden furniture.