Dear Louis Vuitton, please put Grace in charge of menswear already!
The Wales Bonner ‘Horizon Blues’ SS23 collection is a wonderful evocation of ‘European heritage meets Afro Atlantic spirit’. But of special note are the pieces tailored by Old Burlington Street’s Anderson & Sheppard. The camel hair overcoat (serving Fran Lebowitz swagger), the cashmere dinner suit, the DB sleeveless jacket and trousers – pure perfection.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Wales Bonner SS23
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An interesting update in WWD on handbag brand, DeMellier*. On track to become a $50 million business, the article puts the brand’s success down to a number of factors with a focus on price point and ethics.
I first wrote about DeMellier in 2014 (it was launched under a different name and not five years ago, despite what WWD says). And it’s true – price, problem-solving design and ethics were at its core from the get-go. Its founder Mireia Llusia-Lindh spotted a niche for stylish office bags that were practical (read laptop-friendly) and way below the luxury price point of Celine and co, while giving off an air of mid-2010s stealth-luxe. DeMellier was also early in the purpose marketing era, donating vaccines and medical treatments to children in need for every bag sold. And quality manufacturing was another win – bags are produced in ethical European factories, not fast fashion sweatshops.
Over time, the designs of the bags have evolved. Not strictly for corporate types, they now include smaller fashion bags, like the Nano Montreal* carried by Kate Middleton (an early brand endorser) and my current fave, the beach-friendly Santorini* (below). Which is lucky, as the diversity of design and online business model helped DeMellier weather the Covid storm as people adjusted to stay-at-home lifestyles, replacing laptop bags with phone pouches and micro bags.
While the brand has dipped a toe in clothing with a knitwear capsule*, and customers have requested shoes, Llusia-Lindh is in no hurry to expand. Instead, next steps are clearly focused on evolving its leather use. At the moment, bags are made from leathers that are a by-product of the food industry. But DeMellier is looking at an apple-based ‘leather’, responding to the demand for alt-leather materials such as the mushroom-derived ‘unleather’, Mylo. Watch this space…
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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: DeMellier SS22
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How soon is too soon to talk about AW22 tweed winter coats and handknit sweaters? I’m writing this during a June heatwave but by the time I finish, we could well be buried in a freak ice storm. This is London, anything could happen.
This is the AW22 collection from Connolly which I was fortunate enough to witness up close at the Clifford Street store a couple of weeks ago. God, it was heaven. Connolly is a unique store anyway, in a quiet 1719 townhouse selling fashion (by which I mean impeccably crafted clothes) alongside art, homewares and luxury leather goods in a welcoming home-from-home setting. The clothes are designed by Marc Audibet with knitwear designed by Lorraine Acornley, who I know from her previous work with Begg & Co.
Connolly likes to keep things small and manageable. It’s all about the human touch. In the AW22 collection there are handknit cable cardigans that have been edged with wabi sabi-style patchworking by Japanese artisans that have to be seen in the flesh to be believed. Roomy wool herringbone and classic dogtooth overcoats contribute to a gender-nonspecific ‘shared wardrobe’. And tactile, cashmere-rich blankets are a self-care must for year-round comfort.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Connolly AW22
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As the owner of the world’s saddest, driest cuticles, this new Chanel cuticle oil caught my eye.
Part of the summer nail care offer, Chanel L’Huile Camélia moisturises and pushes back cuticles using the powers of camellia oil, an ingredient used in many J beauty and hair products (and of course, a significant one for Chanel, as the camellia flower is a key house code).
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WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE: Chanel
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