Tag Archives: accessories
Super-luxe heritage handbags for Asprey AW13
The luxury spotlight has been trained on the Brits this week – especially when it comes to accessories. As speculation grows on where Emma Hill will go post-Mulberry, we’re also looking ahead to what magic Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley will sprinkle on Marc By Marc Jacobs in their new official roles (as creative director and design director respectively).
Katie Hillier is one busy lady. Not content with consulting on bags for Victoria Beckham, Loewe and Joseph, plus producing her own playful-luxe jewellery and accessory line, she has helped revamp the bag offer at Asprey. If you’ve ever so much as stepped over the Asprey threshold, you’ll know that this is heritage luxury of the highest order. The shapes of these serious bags follow the structured silhouettes we have come to know Hillier for in recent years, but the real excitement comes from the exotic skins and finishes available. When you buy an Asprey bag, you’re not buying a ‘fashion’ item but a keep-in-the-family heirloom piece in which the quality, craftsmanship and rare materials are all-important. (You can configure the components however you want too, at Asprey everything can be bespoke.)
As rumours abound that Bruni Guillon, the new CEO of Mulberry wants to take it in a more upmarket direction, it makes me wonder if Guillon has been watching Asprey’s strategy with Hillier too. Here’s a taster of what to expect from Asprey’s AW13 collection (on sale in September)…
Asprey market tote in earth python, £4,000
Asprey 1781 zip top in smog crocodile, £25,000
Asprey The Blakes in crocodile, £25,000
Order it now: Charlotte Olympia’s cherry-shaped bag
Charlotte Olympia just out-kitsched herself with this immaculately realised Perspex bag for Resort 2014. Available for shipping from November, you can pre-order it now from Moda Operandi. Too quirky (surely not)? Then consider the matching heels instead. In red and black suede with fetching leaf green heels, there’s more than a hint of Guy Bourdin about them. The only catch is that this ‘trunk show’ ends on Thursday so if you want them, get in fast…
Perspex bag, Charlotte Olympia at Moda Operandi
Suede heels, Charlotte Olympia at Moda Operandi
Ben Eine X Louis Vuitton
The art-fashion convergence continues to broker commercial collaborations. I quite like this one between Louis Vuitton and street artist Ben Eine. Eine has reimagined his signature typographic letters for Vuitton, arranging his colourful words on a silk square scarf. Although given the choice between knotting it round my neck and framing it, I think I’d prefer the latter.
I actually can’t find any info on this collab I’m afraid. Instead I found this very sweet video of Eine talking about his work a few months ago…
Beauty snippets: La Roche-Posay, Chanel, Scholl, This Works, Lipstick Queen, Space NK
MY HOLY GRAIL EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER
This Tumblr blog, ‘Shit Bloggers Wear’ is cheeky – but spot on. I didn’t realise everyone was raving about La Roche-Posay, but I’ve finally found my holy grail eye make-up remover and its name is La Roche-Posay Physiological Micellar Solution. ‘Micellar’ is the magic beauty word of the hour (micellar waters contain microscopic oil spheres that gently suck dirt off the skin) and this works brilliantly. Continue reading
Live crafting: Hermes Festival Des Metiers exhibition
What’s all this talk about craft fatigue? What a load of nonsense, I’ve only just got started! Some might say that the thrill of seeing the skills at the heart of the world’s most luxurious handbags, scarves and watches is starting to tire but I hope that’s not the case. I love getting the inside secrets to age-old processes and that’s exactly what you’ll get when you visit the Hermes Festival Des Metiers exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. Continue reading
A ToyWatch for the festival season
Here’s something different from ToyWatch and I like it a lot. It’s a watch-friendship bracelet hybrid and all I can think is, why hasn’t this been done before?
The watch face is clean and classic, a nice contrast to the busy South American-inspired patterns of the woven friendship bracelet. These are pitched ‘for the festival season’ but I can’t imagine them going anywhere near a muddy field, can you? Much more suited for lazy days in the park with a Pimms, or a clubby long weekend in Ibiza.
Anyway, they sell for £125 and are stocked at Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols and ToyWatch… Continue reading
Workshop visit: The Hermes silk scarf workshops in Lyon
“It takes two years to make and two minutes to buy!” So says Kamel Hamadou, the affable communications manager of Hermès silk, hosting a rare tour of the company’s silk printing facilities in Lyon. Two weeks ago I was invited on a whirlwind trip to learn the many meticulous stages of making one of those familiar silk ‘carrés’ of which I’m the proud owner of a few, neatly folded and stored in their equally familiar flat orange boxes.
My most astonishing discovery? The utter complexity of printing involved in a silk scarf of many colours. The average scarf has around 30 colours, of which each shade has its own precise mixing process. The printing itself has to be seen to be believed, but next week, you’ll have the chance to see it all when Hermès’ Festival Des Metiers lands on the London leg of its world tour. Continue reading
What’s in your man bag?
Who knew that men cared about what’s in other men’s man bags?* Well, it seems Mr Porter cares. This week there’s a feature on stylish, influential men and their ‘everyday carry‘ (kind of). Naturally, I’m all over it. Of course, it helps that Mr Porter has photographed the feature in typical house style – that means styled to perfection, with the latest desirable tech and grooming goodies in place. Continue reading
AW13 trend report: Mich Dulce’s banana-fibre hats
How cheery are Mich Dulce’s new millinery pics from her AW13 look book? I spotted these darling hats on her stand at London Fashion Week in February, where Michelle told me about about the sustainable methods they’re made from. (They’re handmade from traditional Filipino T’nalak fabric, handwoven by women who Michelle trains as part of a social enterprise scheme.) Continue reading
Buy it now: Charlotte Olympia’s perfume bottle clutch
My beloved Charlotte Olympia perfume bottle clutches are now available to buy and they’re even more delightful than when I first saw them. Continue reading
