THE DRG STYLE INDEX: MARC JACOBS BEAUTY, BALENCIAGA, DIOR, LEVI’s, SELFRIDGES, MATCHES FASHION

Here’s the latest weekly DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands currently buzzing on my radar…

1. MARC JACOBS’ INSTAGRAM SHOP

Marc Jacobs Beauty shoppable Instagram

Oh the bane of not being able to shop from Instagram! Marc Jacobs Beauty couldn’t stand it any longer and has set up a tool just for Insta-shoppers. It’s a bit like LikeToKNOW.it, and thus, slightly clunky. You register with your email and Instagram handle, then it emails you with the shoppable info of the products you’ve liked on its Instagram account that week. According to Fashionista, as the Marc Jacobs Beauty customer is young and digitally-savvy, it made sense to create this tool especially for them.


2. BALENCIAGA’S SPORTING FOCUS

Balenciaga-ss15-Paris-Vogue Morgan O'Donovan

Topshop isn’t the only one banking big on ‘athleisure’ wear. A press release went out last week announcing Demetria White as Balenciaga’s new global communications and branding director. Formerly at Nike for 7 years, the appointment highlights Balenciaga’s new sport-tech focus, with the line “Demetria White will bring to Balenciaga her knowledge of fashion, sports & lifestyle in this new chapter of the history of House”. ?For a brand that doesn’t necessarily have sportswear in its DNA I thought this was an interesting statement of intent for modern Balenciaga.


3. FUTURE DIOR

dior-greene-street-WWD

More modernised heritage… Dior’s new NYC Greene Street store is awash with digital artworks galore. Raf wasn’t involved in the store design, but architect Peter Marino has translated his futuristic aesthetic to woo today’s young luxury customer. Think aluminium handbag shelves and a digital flower projection wall. As with recent Chanel and Vuitton store designs, art installations are an important feature, with a floor-standing metal sculpture by Nicolas Schoffer and Larry Bell’s large Mylar sculptures looming over the shoe display. When young people spend more time shopping from apps in Starbucks than they do in malls, it takes experiential tricks like these to get them through the doors of physical stores.


4. LEVI’S 501 RETURNS

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It doesn’t seem like that long ago that Levi’s was resigned to the scrapheap, usurped by all the fashion denim brands that have emerged this century. But thanks to the 90s-obsessed normcore generation, it’s fighting back, first with last summer’s omni-present cut-off denim shorts and now with the 501 revival . At the recent SS15 press day, Levi’s presented its 501 CT (which stands for Customised and Tapered), a modified 501 for girls that’s still tomboyish but with a narrowed hem. As the Wall Street Journal reports the demise of the skinny jean, these ‘girlfriend’ jeans are a happy replacement.


5. SELFRIDGES’ PERSONALISED CHRISTMAS

Anya-Hindmarch-personalised-gold-crisp-packet-clutch-Selfridges

This has to go down as the year fashion personalization went mainstream. Always on point, Selfridges is making the most of the mania for self branding and customisation with its Christmas offer. Whether you want Nutella with your name on it, monogrammed cashmere, a Tom Ford personalized beauty trousseau or an Anya Hindmarch 18ct gold crisp packet clutch engraved with a special message, you can get it at Selfridges. See more HERE and HERE.


6. MATCHES FASHION’S NEW IN-HOUSE LABEL

RAEY-matches-fashion

Good news for fans of gentlewomanly style of the Celine/The Row/Cos variety. Matches Fashion recently unveiled its new own-label line, replacing Freda with Raey, which launches for SS15. In line with the current appetite for architectural, unisex cuts, it features menswear and womenswear, both with a clean, minimalist aesthetic in cool neutrals with pops of colour.

WORDS: Navaz Batliwalla/Disneyrollergirl
IMAGES: Marc Jacobs Beauty; French Vogue/Morgan O’Donovan; WWD; Disneyrollergirl; Selfridges; Matches Fashion