“Your GQ and Vogues are about to become hair plugs on a mid-life crisis billionaire. The Newhouse family are smart and they will recognize that this is a dying industry with terrible cash flows so they will register some trophy value by selling it to someone who likes the idea of owning GQ. They are going to go the same way as newspapers. In a very weak flex way, it’ll be like owning Chelsea football club.” Scott Galloway predicting the future in 2020. Unpublished GQ quote, via Alfred Tong
The ‘Bezos buys Vogue’ rumour refuses to die! Journalist Alfred Tong posted the above on his Substack, recounting an old Scott Galloway interview for GQ, in which the quote was (understandably) cut. The rumour started two weeks ago and is still gaining momentum. Thoughts and prayers to Conde employees.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGE: Vogue 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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4/ Artist Membership Project is a new initiative providing free entry to London’s institutional art exhibitions for artists, art workers and low-income individuals. More info here.
6/ Customer service ‘sludge’ (aka those deliberate barriers to moving forward) is the reason you end up saying “fuck it” when trying to fix consumer issues. This long read in The Atlantic goes into why getting anything resolved satisfactorily is such a monumental faff.
7/ I missed David Hockney at the Louis Vuitton Foundation during my whistle stop Paris trip, but this fab London show of Hockney’s early work (1960-1963) at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert (below) made up for it. On until 18th July.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES: TURN; Orso Hotels; David Hockney 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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Sunday saw quite the buzz around the New NewCeline show – the debut by Michael Rider, a well-liked alumnus of Phoebe Philo’sCeline, Nicholas Ghesquiere’sBalenciaga and Polo Ralph Lauren.
The result was – quelle surprise! – an amalgam of Ralph, Phoebe’s Celine and Hedi’s Celine. What does that look like? Classic Ralph-like preppy-isms (camel coats, primary colours, blazers and rugby shirts), Phoebe-era scarves and bags, and Hedi’s cool factor in the skinny pants (hated those!) and indie-Oxbridge haircuts.
People at the show complained it looked messy and unfocussed. From watching Reels and the after-show coverage, I’m taking away that Rider is a merchandiser, not a designer’s designer. We won’t be getting any radical silhouette changes, but he knows how to pile on product and make accessories and luxury staples look desirable. No, I don’t think he will have the cultural relevance of Phoebe’s or Hedi’s Celine, but that’s not what he was hired for.
When you’re dealing in classics, styling counts. Hedi did it with his youthful casting, while Rider did it with the help of Brian Molloy. The sweater-over-blazer, off-kilter silk foulards and moody sunglasses all gave ‘French Vogue editor’ nonchalance (with a touch of L’Etiquette). I really liked those elements and could see myself in them. A fascinating titbit: Fashion Roadman reported that Hedi was rarely seen at the Celine factories, whereas Michael Rider has been going in deep at the R&D centre and into the archives. If that’s true, I like the idea of Celine’s classics being of the highest quality, because if not, you may as well go to J. Crew or vintage Ralph.
Overall, the collection has been somewhat polarising; one camp loves the commercial vibrancy, the other is miffed it’s not saying anything different. I think for a first collection it’s where it needs to be, and hopefully will take a few risks in good time.
What I loved: The energetic colour palette. Crease-front jeans. Expert scarf styling. Cropped leather bombers. Plus, the canopy of Celine-logo umbrellas – way to do clever branding.
What I didn’t love: The dresses – what happened here?! Skinny jodhpur-leggings – please, no.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES: Celine Spring 26 by Michael Rider 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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It feels like my favourite moments of Paris Fashion Week men’s were the colour-drenched ones. Willy Chavarria’s saturated pinks, blues and yellows, and Saint Laurent’s nostalgic 70s Fire Island palette felt like a welcome answer-back to the monopoly of Cucinelli-meets-Piana muted neutrals. Add to that, deliberately skew-whiff styling (messy shirt collars at Dior, chappals and trackies at Prada) and the juxtaposition of casual with formal and there’s plenty of inspo to steal from the menswear rail. What’s more, you don’t have to wait till next summer, you can implement many of these ideas now…
These smart short shorts with formal shoes and socks (above and below) are gaining momentum season to season and are a look I can see tipping into the mainstream with a modification or two. A little note in the latest Fantastic Man mag made an interesting point about Prada menswear, suggesting that Mrs Prada sees shorts in the same way as skirts, a way to adjust the length of a garment and the corresponding amount of leg on show. Adding the formality of the smart-sock-and-shoe duo to something considered casual – the short short – is a fresh way to rethink styling and something everyone can play with. The tie doesn’t need to be taken literally and probably won’t (or will it?!), but it reinforces the ‘formal’ message in the equation.
Let’s talk about these strong shouldered shirts, transparent neon blouses and tissue-thin nylon cagoules (top and below). I love them and their slightly kinky undertone! Tucking an oversize K-Way* or similar into pleat-top tailored shorts has the same unexpected effect. Stick to more classic colours if you prefer, or thrift for some original 80s pieces in vibrant prints if you want to be more adventurous. At the TURN x Literary Sport pop-up in Paris, I clocked vintage Agnès b and IRIÉ, that would easily nail this look.
Echoing the masterful colourist skills of Mr Saint Laurent himself, Anthony Vaccarello excelled with his colour co-ordinations (below). A semi-precious jewel palette of amethyst, citrine, jade and sunset orange helped the washed silk shirts and diaphanous blouses pop against espresso brown silk taffeta tailoring.
Striped and piped PJs for day – so good! Saint Laurent showed elements of dishevelment in the most chic and controlled way. I love the crisp pyjama tops messily tucked into boxers and paper bag trousers (below). The deeper meaning may be a nod to ‘subtle gestures of exposure’ in reference to 1970s Fire Island queer codes, but superficially they just look relaxed, cool and ready for anything.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES: Saint Laurent menswear SS26 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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