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My favourite classic, heritage-style shoes for winter in the city



Chapter 2 Jackdaw boots

Two great footwear brands to know if you’re into the heritage workwear look. (Plus a reminder of one you probably know already.)

I love the classic Paraboot Michael shoe, but at £315 it’s an investment purchase. More affordable is another French brand, Klemen, whose unisex workwear shoes were originally made for firefighters and the military. That should give you an idea of their utilitarian credentials.

The Padror Derby is the one to go for, unchanged in style since the eighties. This women’s style comes in a number of neutral shades and the price is pretty impressive at €140. I’d wear the caramel Padror Derby (below) with cropped white jeans and Freight alpaca socks. If you’re into leather sandals, these Dimori P sandals with their sturdy soles are very appealing too (below).

Kleman derby shoes Padror
Kleman Dimori heritage-style shoes - made in France

Also worth checking out is Chapter 2, a UK-based brand with shoes made to order in Italy. These are the kind of shoes that get better with age as the leather acquires a patina. Even the soles are ravishing. Founders Fay & Tom Murphy have designed shoes in the past for Paul Smith and Dries van Noten, which comes through in these classic-with-a-bygone-twist designs. It’s a small-scale operation, which is reflected in the price. These Jackdaw boots (below and top, inspired by vintage boxing boots) sell for £350 here.

Chapter 2 Jackdaw boots
heritage-style shoes by Chapter 2

Finally, a quick shoutout for my faithful Red Wings (press gift), still going strong in inclement weather after four years without a refurb. I love that they’re the exact same design as the men’s version; that’s not always the case with heritage-style shoes. They take a while to break in but otherwise they’re like walking on clouds. Buy them here. (Note: those are the brand new version below…)
Red Wing boots for women

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Chapter 2; 2 x Kleman; 2 x Chapter 2; Red Wing
NOTE: Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here

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Trend report: What to steal from Dior men winter 2020



Kim Jones’ magic formula of collabs, couture techniques and club culture continues to hit the high notes for me. A few weeks after his Dior fall 2020 show, he presented his Dior winter 2020 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. Where fall was casual, sporty and colour-saturated, winter is coolly majestic.


The key component for me was the dedication to the late London creative legend Judy Blame, a friend and inspiration to Jones. Blame was a highly influential stylist and jewellery designer, part of London’s hyper-creative 80s scene who also collaborated with Jones on his Louis Vuitton collections. Blame’s signature aesthetic was a bricolage approach to styling and design, crafting jolie-laide pieces from unexpectedly mundane objects (champagne corks! Safety pins!), or throwing on a jacket inside out. It was a precursor to today’s eco-conscious approach, although back in the 80s came from lack of resources rather than an eco-warrior stance.

I digress. This collection collaborated with the Judy Blame Trust to access the archives and take inspiration from his craft. So tailored outfits were accessorised with trouser jewellery designed by in-house director of Dior Men’s accessories Yoon Ahn; long, fluid shirts were layered under toile de jouy-style hand knits, and single earrings adorned earlobes. These are all looks I’d adopt in a heartbeat.

Dior menswear winter 2020 Vogue Runway trouser jewellery
Dior men winter 2020 toile de jouy sweater
Dior men winter 2020 MA1 Vogue Runway

As always, my standouts were the outerwear pieces; a fantastic camel coat lined in baby blue (a favourite Dior colour combo), numerous silk moiré macs, plus a satin MA1-style bomber that zipped up the back for a ‘cutaway’ option (above and below). Dior menswear is a huge hit with women and this is the piece I expect to see on Jones’ coterie of female fashion groupies. I want one badly.

Dior men winter 2020 Vogue Runway
Dior men winter 2020 MA1 By Acielle - Style Du Monde

Jones has made it his mission to inject a couture sensibility into his RTW menswear. While fall used a little-known Japanese marbling textile technique, winter took to the Dior vaults to unearth a 1969 Marc Bohan dress, whose sequin embroidery fed into the design of a spellbinding opera coat. Someone get this on Tilda Swinton’s back, immediately! If you’re into this sort of couture porn, then check out Dior’s textile consultant Edward Crutchley on Instagram, giving the lowdown – it’s a treat to watch.

Dior men winter 2020 Vogue Runway

The clothes were fantastic but it’s the overall package that makes this so special. The vibrant light show, graphic set design, Honey Dijon-scored soundtrack (Fleetwood Mac’s Big Love throughout) and speedy choreography gave this its energy and drama. My favourite finishing touch? Tiny metal press studs glued to the inner corners of the eyes by Peter Philips’ make-up team to suggest the humble treasures that were the tools of the trade of Jones’s muse. Genius.

Dior men winter 2020 beauty By Acielle - Style Du Monde

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Dior men winter 2020 by Acielle – Style Du Monde/Vogue Runway
NOTE: 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

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Nicole McLaughlin and More or Less magazine



Nicole McLaughlin for More Or Less mag

I just picked up my copy of the much-feted Vogue Italia illustrated issue. The idea is that by having all the fashion editorials illustrated, rather than expensively shot on location, not only would Vogue Italia lighten its carbon footprint, but the money saved would be donated to help restore the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice, recently damaged by the floods. While some considered this a cynical greenwashing gesture, I think every little helps. Plus I love fashion illustration (even more so, magazines without pesky coverlines!).

But for a more in-depth fashion magazine that’s spotlighting creative sustainability, look to More or Less magazine. (more…)

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Retail round-up: Lunar New Year airport pop-ups are a data-capture gift to beauty retailers



Lancome Renovated Absolue Cushion

DFNI associate editor, ALISON FARRINGTON reports on the travel retail beauty opportunity for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is upon us and travel retailers across Asia have been creating special promotions designed to attract passengers for the biggest Chinese shopping opportunity of the year. Travel retail or duty free shoppers are big business. Often referred to as the ‘Sixth Continent’, in 2018 the global market was worth $79bn.

Beauty remains the biggest and fastest-growing product sector in travel retail, while Asia Pacific is the category’s main growth driver. In 2018 the region saw beauty sales grow 23.5% to a total of $31.5bn. Beauty and fashion accessories are the biggest pull for Chinese travellers eager to snap up seasonal limited editions at the airport. This year’s theme is Year of the Rat (sometimes interpreted as a mouse) and we’ve seen brands adopting characterful themes such as Rocket Rat and even Mickey Mouse. (more…)

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