Photography

On quiet beauty, Prada make-up 2.0 and the end of the glossy girl boss era



Australian Vogue Beauty Garconne

How cool to be quoted in Noelle Faulkner’s article for Vogue Australia on the emerging anti-perfect aesthetic.

In her piece, ‘The Whole Picture’ (in the August issue), she charts the convergence of discreet fashion and beauty, particularly the growing shift away from obvious enhancements in pursuit of so-called perfection (pillow cheeks, snatched jawlines, uber-pumped lips) and towards a more self-accepting, everyday aesthetic. (more…)



Margaret Howell AW23 styling masterclass



Margaret Howell AW23

Not wanting to wish August away but… it’s not feeling very ‘summer vibes’ here atm. So please indulge my early preview of Margaret Howell AW23 comfort dressing.

Margaret Howell is continuing its run of modern utility-luxe dressing, with increasingly gender-fluid styling and casting that I’m fully on board with. I love this 80s-utility vibe which feels like a cross between old money Burberry and army-surplus-thrifted-from-Laurence-Corner-circa-1985. (more…)



Shop the post: an olfactory escape



Lola James Harper - The Betty Lee

Going anywhere nice this year? If not, perhaps you’d like an olfactory vacation? No, not the classic coconut-and-vanilla beachy blends, but something much more niche and personal.

It’s the era of the hyper-specific location perfume. Rather than Mediterranean colognes and fruity-florals, the latest crop of wanderlust fragrances are landing in far-flung places like Dubai, Tokyo and the Sahara Desert or close-to-home hang-outs like The Woody Office of Daddy and The Bomboneria in Barcelona*. (more…)



Shop the post: A very English summer



Margaret Howell SS23 ANNEMARIEKE VAN DRIMMELEN

High summer season in London – not always a great look. The tube is rammed with tourists and locals and the default girl-about-town uniform of Summer ’23 seems to be strappy mini slip dress layered over a less-than-pristine white tee, mashed-up 90s trainers (Stan Smiths, Converse, Reeboks) plus equally lived-in trainer socks. It’s aiming for a sort of Kate-Moss-by-Corrine-Day grungy romanticism but widely missing the mark.

The truth is, we do summer dressing far better when it’s a little bit cooler, when the layers are more knitwear-leaning and yes, when there’s a hint of hailstorm in the air. More Iris Palmer bucolic realness by Tim Walker circa 1996 if you will. (more…)