Highsnobiety just opened its concept store – in an airport



Highsnobiety Gatezero Zurich Airport store

Last week saw Highsnobiety open its concept store, ‘Gatezero’ at Zurich airport. For six months, the bricks-and-mortar location will sell a hypebeast-friendly selection of products and exclusive releases from over 20 brands. Think Acne Studios and Gucci RTW and accessories, Comme wallets and Ambush jewellery. Plus travel essentials like toothbrushes and night masks.

From the pictures it looks perfectly pitched for the emerging new-luxury customer for whom brands and insider status are important. So, the hype fashion brands (Bottega, Balenciaga, Loewe and Saint Laurent) are also part of the buy, as well as beauty favourites Aesop, Byredo and Barbara Sturm. Naturally, there’s also a special Gatezero merch line (also available here).

As European cities start to tentatively welcome international customers again, the airport retail concept feels like a timely move for Highsnobiety to extend its media brand to a wider audience.

“Since before the pandemic, the idea of multi-brand marketplaces has been seeping into travel retail, and we’re now seeing more examples launching,” says DRG retail editor, Alison Farrington. “The Highsnobiety collaboration embraces new types of luxury customers, offering zeitgeist brands and exclusives that are a good fit for Zurich’s unique traveller profile. The attraction of a physical space where HNWI travellers pass through who are open to trying a curated mix of products, showcases how this type of editorial-meets-commercial concept can be reframed as luxury travel retail, with the core offer managed by a new type of changemaker ‘retailer’.”

Highsnobiety Gatezero Zurich Airport store



WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Highsnobiety Gatezero Zurich Airport store
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Rebel stylist: Caroline Baker – the woman who invented street fashion



Rebel Stylist - Caroline Baker for Vogue - photography Harri Peccinotti

If you’re struggling for killer fashion gift ideas, allow me to make a recommendation.

I’ve just received my copy of Rebel Stylist*, a fantastic delve into the story of fashion styling straight from the lips (and visual archive) of the lady who invented it all, Caroline Baker. Caroline is a legend in the industry. She has worked for everyone, from Nova magazine to The Face, Vogue and i-D, as well as with iconic designers and brands including Benetton (the Toscani ads), Katharine Hamnett and Vivienne Westwood. Not to mention photographers – Helmut Newton, Hari Peccinotti, Sarah Moon, Guy Bourdin, Saul Leiter. Every mainstream trend you can think of – layering, military surplus, power dressing, underwear-as-outerwear – she was there first, trailblazing well before most of us were in nappies.

I was extremely lucky to get to work as Caroline’s assistant in the 90s. She gave me my first job, which couldn’t have been a better introduction to the world of fashion shoots, photography and magazines. Every creative meeting with Caroline was like a magical mystery tour inside her brain. Full of enthusiasm and surprises in the best possible way.

Iain R. Webb has done an outstanding job putting together the Caroline Baker story in an incredibly rich, historically fascinating, 272-page package. The images alone would make this book worthwhile, but Caroline’s contextual commentary is what gives it real power.

You can buy Rebel Stylist: Caroline Baker – The Woman Who Invented Street Fashion in most bookshops or online*.

Rebel Stylist: Caroline Baker - The Woman Who Invented Street Fashion

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Harri Peccinotti/Vogue; Rebel Stylist: Caroline Baker – The Woman Who Invented Street Fashion
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

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CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman
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(Back) on my radar: Jigsaw AW21



Jigsaw AW21 trousers

I found myself in Jigsaw a few days ago and was very impressed with the new direction. I’ve not been in for quite some time and to be honest it had dropped clean off my radar.

The coats, knits* and trousers are especially strong, and of course, the silk shirts*. Creative director Jo Sykes first caught my attention for the silk shirts she designed for Matches many moons ago. It looks like she has duplicated the cuts and fabric quality for Jigsaw AW21.

I’m going back to try on these khaki Bardot pants* (although ideally I would prefer them in black or navy). Plus these square toe Cavalry boots*. I shall report back.

NOW CLICK BELOW TO SHOP THE POST (I MAY EARN A COMMISSION ON THE BASKET VALUE OF ITEMS BOUGHT*)…

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Jigsaw AW21 womenswear
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week
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Did blogs change the fashion industry?



blogs in Vogue

Sad but true, blogging is considered something of a retro curiosity. Now that everything 2000s is trending, we’re seeing quite a few nostalgic deep dives into the early days of fashion blogs, aka the grass roots movement that upended the publishing industry.

Vogue US has a podcast here, which uncovers the anonymous online identity years, the democratisation of fashion shows and early Fashion Week street style (throw back to that time Tommy Ton’s team mobbed my friend at LFW for a photo of a hole in his sleeve!).

But you can also go back to this live discussion between myself and then Vogue UK creative director Robin Derrick, which took place at the Apple Store in Covent Garden. Robin tweeted me in November 2010, asking me to co-host the event which would take place in February 2011 to mark the launch of the Vogue iPad app. I remember the Vogue PR team telling me it would be recorded for a podcast and having no idea what that was. I was also terrified, as I was still a Gossip Girl-style anony-blogger up until that point and this was going to be my coming out party!

I relistened to the podcast a few weeks ago and found it fascinating how right Robin was with all his predictions. One question that has seemingly been edited out of the Q&A at the end was from Lyst founder Chris Morton, challenging Robin on whether blogs were ‘going to eat you for lunch’. I guess Vogue didn’t much like that question, although I recall Robin answered it pretty well. Anyway, Vogue is still here and so are blogs, so it looks like there’s still room for us all.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGE:Matthew Brookes /Vogue
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

CLICK HERE to get Disneyrollergirl blog posts straight to your inbox once a week
CLICK HERE to buy my book, The New Garconne: How to be a Modern Gentlewoman
CLICK HERE to buy my beauty book, Face Values: The New Beauty Rituals and Skincare

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